After a chaotic Assembly debate filled with screams and tears, California lawmakers on Thursday sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a bill that would prohibit schools from requiring teachers to notify parents about changes in a student's identity. gender of a student.
The 61-16 vote came after a lengthy and emotional exchange between Democrats, who said the bill is necessary to protect LGBTQ+ youth, and Republicans, who said it would infringe on the relationship between students and parents.
AB 1955 by Assemblyman Christopher M. Ward (D-San Diego) would protect teachers from retaliation for supporting the rights of transgender students and prohibit school policies that require “forced disclosure” of young people's gender decisions to your families.
The legislation responds to a wave of conservative-backed school board policies that have sought to notify parents if their child changes their name or pronouns, or if students request to use facilities or participate in programs that do not match their gender at school. official records.
Implementation of those policies is stuck in the courts. But Democrats said Thursday that the legislation is needed to protect transgender K-12 students who may not feel safe at home to disclose their sexual orientation to their parents. They cited high rates of bullying and suicide among transgender youth.
“It’s not the job of teachers to be gender police. They want to teach and they want to be able to provide a safe and supportive environment. And when they do that, students will thrive,” Ward said through tears on the Assembly floor, surrounded by fellow Democrats who supported the bill. “Nothing in this bill intervenes in the relationship between parents and children.”
The vote came after combative opposition from Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Corona), who opposed the measure over concerns about “parental rights” and accused Democrats of fearmongering.
Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) repeatedly cut off Essayli's microphone during the debate and ruled that she was “out of line” for talking about other legislation during her testimony against AB 1955, as well as for “belittling to the camera”.
“I'm tired of you interrupting me,” Essayli told Wood.
Essayli, who compared state Democrats to the “Chinese Communist Party,” responded by trying to block testimony from his Democratic colleagues.
The floor debate was interrupted by several procedural votes necessary to reduce Essayli's time. The Democratic caucus ultimately halted the vote to take a recess after colleagues physically restrained Assemblyman Corey Jackson (D-Perris) to prevent him from confronting Essayli on the floor.
“I did not know what to say. I lost control,” Jackson told the Times. “I don't think sometimes my Republican colleagues understand that, for some bills, it's not about politics, it's about recognizing people's humanity. So, it’s a personal thing, of course.”
Jackson said he apologized to his fellow lawmakers for the distraction and did not speak to Essayli about the matter.
“We are with you. We don't want anyone to be intimidated or hurt or erased or anything like that,” Essayli said after he was finally allowed to speak on the floor about the bill. “When a child is going through this, it's a very difficult and emotional time… We don't believe the government – the schools – have any authority to withhold information from parents, period.”
Several members of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus shared their own coming out stories in support of the bill and their experiences with families who were not supportive.
Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) said a teacher was the one who told her her son was transgender. She felt “disappointed” by that teacher’s judgment.
“If my teacher had told my parents… I don’t know if I would have survived that day, because that was the level of abuse that was going on in my home,” Wilson said. “I don’t care how old you are. That’s a personal decision.”
Newsom will have 12 days to sign or veto the bill, which passed the Senate 29-8, once it officially reaches his desk.
The Democratic governor is a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights. In 2022 he signed a bill that named California a sanctuary for transgender children and their families seeking medical care and support they cannot get in red states.
But he shocked LGBTQ+ advocates when he vetoed a bill last year that would have required judges in custody battles to consider parents’ support for their children’s gender identity. In a veto message, he said, “I urge caution when the executive and legislative branches of state government attempt to dictate, in prescriptive terms that single out a characteristic, legal standards for the judicial branch to apply.”
Newsom does not typically comment on pending legislation.
Asked about the issue last year, he told The Times that he understands parents' concerns but said Republicans are using school board policies as a pretext to “bully” the LGBTQ+ community.
The governor, a father of four, said he “draws the line” by requiring teachers to “snitch” on students.
“I take the job I do as a parent at home to meet their needs very seriously, and I honestly don’t expect teachers to replace my role as a parent,” Newsom said in November. “I want them to teach my kids and keep them safe and make them feel included and not excluded.”
